Filing-case.



. PATENTED MAY 26, 1903. J. LEE.

FILING CASE.

AP PLIOATION FILED MAR. 10, 1902.

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[/VVE'N 70R f ra Lee WITNESSES! Cig- Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC JOHN LEE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FILING-OAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,076, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,650. (No model.

the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cases,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to receptacles in which letters, documents, files, 850., can be placed for temporary safe keeping, assortment, or distribution; and it is embodied in a portable box, case, or tray having a peculiar construction and arrangement of compartments and holding devicesand adapted to be placed on desks, tables, and the like. As an example of its various and intended uses I take the case of the assortment and distribution of mail in large offices, business houses, &c., among various departments. Letters of all sizes are received and if placed in ordinary pigeonholed or compartment boxes are liable to be temporarily overlooked, short envelops falling to the bottom of the compartment and being often concealed by long envelops, and as all are loose it is quite possible for hasty and careless messengers to remove the long envelops, leaving one or more short ones in the compartments.

The object of my invention is to provide a compartment-box having positive self-acting holding devices for retaining all letters, documents, the, in each compartment and in an individual bunch or group. The use specifically referred to is of course only illustrative of a great variety of uses, all, however, being connected and concerned with the assortment and temporary safe keeping of letters, documents, and papers of like general character.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line B B of Fig. 1.

The box 1, composed of a bottom and sides and made of sheet metal, wood, or other suitable material, is divided into superficial compartmentsbylongitudinaland transverse bars 2 3. I prefer to make the box of sheet metal and to make the bars 2 3 asparts of a frame 4, cast or otherwise formed from some heavier metal, the frame 4 acting as a rim and finish around the edge of the box and having a flange 5, which fits its sides. The number of bars 2 3 will depend upon the size of the box and also upon the desired size of the compartments. There are no partitions, but only the open frame,which, however, accomplishes the purpose of subdividing the box. I have shown for illustration an arrangement of five subdivisions formed by the bars 2 and one intersecting bar 3 at right angles. The bars 2 are formed with downwardly-projecting fiat lugs 6 of about the depth of the flange 5. To these lugs and to the flange are secured by soldering, riveting, or otherwise cooperating pairs of flexible flat springs 7, curved or bent downwardly and having their lower ends turned up or headed and quite or nearly in contact, Fig. 3. They extend part way toward the box-bottom and when in position form automatic clamps in the subdivisions. Envelope, papers, documents, dad, can now be thrust down into each compartment between the springs and will be positivelyheld together by their pressure. This pressure does not prevent the ready withdrawal of one, more, or all the papers from the individual group; but it is sufficient to produce a somewhat compact bundle and so greatly lessens the liability of accidental displacement by careless handling, and, moreover, all sizes of papers can be held and conveniently examined, since theshorter ones will not fall and need not be thrust down to the bottom.

The operation of the device as a simple, inexpensive, and convenient desk-file has, itis thought, been suiflciently ,set forth, as well as its advantages.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A box having compartments for receiving papers documents, &50. vertically, in combination with springs in said compartments; such springs being arranged vertically in pairs with their free ends above the bottom of the box, the members of any pair converging downwardly so that their respective free ends approach, whereby papers of different lengths can be held in the compartments by said springs with their upper edges substantially level.

2. A box having an open top, bars dividing it into superficial compartments, and pairs dividing the upper top into superficial compartments, and springs secured to said flanges and arranged in pairs, the members of each pair extending toward each other and the bottom of the box.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of February, 1902.

JOHN LEE.

Witnesses:

F. F; GOLDER, H. W. BowLEY. 

